Break and Enter
Day: 9
Up at 8am and yet another tasty bakery breakfast and coffee on the rooftop. One last morning gazing out across the Zacatecas cityscape, filled with churches. I wonder how a city of 120,000 can have so many places of worship? We are off to Guadalajara today, the second most populous city in the country it promises to be quite the contrast from easygoing Zacatecas. Lonelyplanet also calls it the “most Mexican city” in the country, although I´m not entirely sure what that means.
Once again the bus situation works out very easy, to easy. I´m waiting for things to even up somewhere. Sort of like the Sienfeld episode “Even Steven”. You know the one right? What a great episode. Right so back to the bus, comfortable seats and even a movie. “Life or something like it”, it´s funny how even a bad movie dubbed in Spanish is watchable on a bus.
5 hours later we arrive in Gudalajara´s Nueva Central. A quick bargain for a taxi and we are off to central Guadalajara. This is by far the biggest most bustling city we have seen. With a population over 4 million it´s a big place. We mostly sit in traffic for the 9km into the city, passing a Walmart Supercentre. Incidentally, Walmart is the single largest private employer in Mexico.
We are dropped off at a hotel we picked out of the guidebook and quickly check in. It´s a decent enough place but the room is HUGE with 4 double beds. We drop our bags, change and head out for dinner and to walk the town. An all veggie restaurant for dinner, amazing find. We have mole which is always a meat dish, but this time it´s yummy gluten. After dinner and walking around the busy but beautiful downtown the real fun starts.
We return to our room and I slide the key in the door. I turn, and turn and turn. The key is moving but the dead bolt is not. I´m thinking, “hmmm it´s turning but something is just not right here. Come on please don´t tell me….” Mexico, we have a problem. I find an old frail lady wearing a neck brace working the front desk. She comes out, struggles up the flight of stairs to our room to give it a go. Now I feel like an ass because all I can picture is this lady tumbling down the stairs of having a heart attack. I wonder is that´s why she is wearing the brace? She tries but nothing. Jordana and I just look at each other and can´t help but laugh, this is getting good. The old lady leaves and returns with a young guy. OK this guy must know the secret trick, no problem. This guy gets to the door, puts the key in and nothing. Then he turns to me and motions that we break the door down. Sure thing, but then where are we going to stay tonight genius?? 40 minutes later with a few screwdrivers and a lack of smarts we have broken the lock free and taken a good chunk of the door with it. We are still able to lock the door from the inside with those locks that push up and down from the door, so we decide to stay the night. We also decide that we will leave in the morning. The adventures of travel, gotta love it. I wonder if this makes us even steven?
Tags: Guadalajara, Mexico
Michael Coroneos
Mike, I wish you had a running start at the door, and then knocked it out of the frame completely..hahaha.
That’s a sick lock. I need one like that to lock up my “beverages” in my class without getting caught. (I’m just kidding of course for anybody reading this and thinking of blue paging me…I will use a “code” name…suckas)
Hey guys,
Glad to hear everything turned out ok, Norm’s on his way to fix the door!
Love ya.
Sounds like fun so far guys!nrCan’t wait to read more. nrMiss ya lotsnrPauline